FCW Insider

Do you remember when?

Hey, do you remember 25 years ago?

It was 1987. Ronald Reagan was president, just halfway through his second term. Nobody had ever heard of the Internet, a smart phone or an “app.” Want to take some music on your jog? Load up the Sony Discman with a CD and hit the trail. That’ll keep you entertained for 45 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., a specialized newspaper called Federal Computer Week launched, bringing federal managers and contractors news about the technology world and how it was changing.

And oh, how it changed. That era seems quaint today, even though many of us are old enough to remember it fondly. Here at Federal Computer Week — still going strong all these years later — we’re preparing a special issue next month to trace the history of federal IT during those years.

So we’re asking you to share your memories — fond or not — of the past quarter-century. What do you see as the important trends, milestones or turning points? What regulations helped move things along — or contributed to holding things back? What technologies do you miss?